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Road Test

Review

2012
Volvo
XC60 Review

Attractive alternative in the compact crossover set

Reviewed by Automotive on
10/28/2011

Overview

With the XC60, Volvo took the plunge into what it's calling the "small premium utility" market, which is to say a compact crossover SUV with luxury appointments. While on the small side, the XC60 is a little bigger than many of its most notable market contemporaries. At 182.2 inches in length, the XC60 is 2.3-inches longer than the BMW X3, 1.5-inches longer than Acura's RDX and 3.9 inches beyond the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class.

The XC60 also strutted into the crowded small crossover stage with a design that was more aggressive and expressive than many recent Volvos. The XC60 crossover plays every card in the small SUV design playbook, with giant headlight assemblies (whimsically irregular in shape), lots of trapezoidal elements, a pronounced step-down between the power dome hood and the fenders, a rising waistline from stem to stern, and really big 'S-turn' taillights bookending the rear.

The XC60 can be had in three flavors. The base front-drive 3.2 (all-wheel-drive is optional) is powered by Volvo's 240-horsepower 3.2-liter six-cylinder. The all-wheel drive only XC60 T6 is propelled by a 300 horsepower, 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder, as is the T6 R-Design version, which comes shod with 20-inch wheels, a stiffer suspension, additional eye candy, and a whopping 325 horsepower.

The Range

What's New

Few changes for 2012, but three model levels have been deleted and replaced with Premier, Premier Plus, and Platinum.

Exterior

The XC60's exterior appearance represents a direction that was defined through the lines of the 2011 S60 sedan. The XC60's body is flowing and expressive in ways unimaginable to Volvo enthusiasts of yore, and features giant headlight assemblies, lots of trapezoidal elements, a pronounced step-down between the power dome hood and the fenders, and a rising waistline from stem to stern.

Interior

Inside, Volvo's Scandinavian design philosophy is evident, where you'll find Volvo's signature thin, waterfall center stack as the anchor point. The instrument pod and door inserts have a unique, modular feel, and includes a 7-inch color infotainment screen with Bluetooth and satellite radio.

Performance & Handling

The Volvo XC60's 0-60 mph times vary depending upon engine configuration. The front-drive version of the 3.2 achieves it in an estimated 8.6 seconds, while the T6 all-wheel drive and R-Design drop that to a quick 7.1 seconds. With its firmed-up suspension, larger wheels and tires, and more direct steering, the R-Design is easily the best handler of the group, though its 20-inch tires don't lend themselves to supple ride quality.

Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the XC60 its Top Safety Pick for 2011, and that should follow for 2012 as well. Volvo's legendary safety technologies are available in abundance for the XC60, including Volvo's City Safety, which can automatically stop the XC60 from speeds below 19 mph if it detects an impending collision.